The Cartersville Little League 11U baseball team finished a two-game sweep of Bartow County 11U Monday night at the Georgia District 1 championship series at Dean Field in Rockmart. With their district series win, Cartersville 11U advances to the state tournament that begins July 17 at Dudley Little League, just west of Dublin in Laurens County. Cartersville won the opening game in the series Sunday night 16-9 and won 8-1 Monday night behind the pitching strength of Luke Thompson and Avery Slye. Thompson started on the mound and allowed just one, unearned run over the first 4-1/3 innings. He scattered three hits and three walks while striking out eleven. Slye entered in the fifth and retired five of the six batters he faced to close out the game. Hie yielded just one hit, no walks, and fanned three. The Cartersville offense produced just five hits, but combined those with four walks and five Bartow defensive miscues for their seven run win. River Wade, Brody Jones, and Aiden Turner each produced one hit and one RBI. Brooks Fulton and Noah Kearney had the other Cartersville 11U base hits. Alfredo Romo pitched well for Bartow 11U in the loss. Only one of the five runs against him were earned. He gave up just one hit and three walks while striking out nine. Romo also had three hits at the plate. Dawson Warner added the other Bartow County base hit. Bartow 8U Coach Pitch team earns GRPA District Five runner-up finish The Bartow County 8U softball coach pitch team finished runner-up in the GRPA District Five Tournament Monday night following a 17-2 loss to Summerville at Calhoun Park. Bartow finished with a 3-2 record in the tournament that began June 7. Both losses in the double-elimination tournament were to the eventual champions. Bartow also had wins over Gordon County (23-0), Rockmart (20-8), and Whitfield County (19-18) during the tournament. Members of the Bartow County 8U coach pitch team include: Mia Benitez, Annie Cochran, Addaleigh Gravitt, Sadie Houston, Aubree Huskins, Addalyn Johnson, Devyn Knott, Caroline Owen, Remington Sewell, Harper Swancy, Neveah Tate, Linleigh Wade, and Madison Walker. Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.

The Bartow County 12U Blue baseball team finished a perfect 4-0 run through the eight-team, Georgia Recreation and Parks Association District Five Tournament Monday night at Al Rollins Park in Dalton clinching the championship with 3-1 victory over Rockmart. Mitchell Raughton started on the mound for Bartow, struck out twelve, and picked up the win with five innings of work. He scattered five hits and a walk yielding the lone Rockmart run in the fourth inning. Trenton Mealor earned a save by closing out the final frame in 1-2-3 order. He ended the game with a strikeout. Bartow managed only two hits in the win and scored all three runs in the first inning. The locals took advantage of five, first inning walks and an RBI single by Kasin Miller to take their early lead. Benjamin Wilson had the other Bartow hit — a double in the fourth inning. Bartow 12U reached Monday night’s championship game with earlier tournament wins over Rockmart (8-2), Rome #1 (8-7), and Cartersville Gold (12-3). Bartow advances to the ten-team 12U State Tournament June 22-26 at Morgan Park in Effingham County. Bartow 12U is scheduled to play the Lyons vs. Garden City winner Wednesday, June 23 at 12 noon. Cartersville 8U Gold coach pitch team forces “if” game, but falls in finals to Calhoun Cartersville 8U went into Monday night’s GRPA District Five championship round needing two wins over host Calhoun to take the district title. They forced a second game with a 24-19 win, but lost in the second game, 17-16. Cartersville 8U rattled out 33 hits in the first game Monday and finished with 28 hits in the Game 2 loss. Calhoun totaled 61 hits in the two games. Harry Baker had nine hits and four RBIs in the doubleheader. Jon Ryder Myers (6 RBIs) and Connor Murphy (4 RBIs) followed with eight hits each. RJ Perkins drove in 11 runs with seven hits. Jack Turner also had seven hits with two RBIs. Micah Tatum finished with six hits and four RBIs. Weston Shirley (4 RBIs) and Bentley Duren (RBI) contributed five hits each. Camden Johnson (3 RBIs) and Linkoln Crump (RBI) added three hits apiece. Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.

Although the Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled in the National League’s Central Division, Cartersville native Sam Howard has continued his steady work out of the Pirates’ bullpen in 2021. Howard has a 2.52 ERA in 31 appearances and has limited opposing hitters to a .133 batting average. Elsewhere on the pro diamonds, former Canes Connor Justus and Anthony Seigler continue their work at Triple-A Jacksonville and High Class A Hudson Valley, respectively. On the hardwoods of The Basketball League, A.J. Mosby scored 34 points last Friday in Shreveport’s win over Omaha. PRO BASEBALL SAM HOWARD — Pittsburgh Pirates (8th-year pro; Cartersville HS)… made appearances in three games this past week and gave up just one earned run across four innings pitched, but the Pirates fell in all three games. The lefty retired four of the five batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings of a 2-1 home loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers last Wednesday. Howard then retired all four batters faced in the sixth and seventh innings of Friday’s 7-4 loss at Milwaukee. Sunday, the 28-year-old entered in the seventh inning at the Brewers with Pittsburgh trailing 4-2. He gave up a double and an eventual sacrifice fly out for the first earned run against him in his last six appearances. For the season, Howard has made 31 relief appearances covering 25 innings pitched. He has a 2-2 record with a 2.52 ERA and 33 strikeouts. Opponents have a .133 batting average against him. The Pirates are 23-41 this season and trail the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central by 14-1/2 games. CONNOR JUSTUS — Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (6th-year pro; Miami Marlins organization; Cartersville HS)… started in four of five home games last week against the Norfolk Tides as the Jumbo Shrimp went 2-3 for the week. The 26-year-old infielder was 2-for-15 at the plate with a double and one run scored. Since moving up to Triple-A Jacksonville from Pensacola at the end of May, Justus has a .227 batting average with three RBIs in 14 games and 44 official at bats. The Shrimp have a six game series Tuesday through Sunday at the Charlotte Knights. Jacksonville is 21-14 this season and trails Triple-A East, Southeast Division co-leaders Durham and Nashville by three games. ANTHONY SEIGLER — Hudson Valley Renegades (4th-year pro; New York Yankees organization; Cartersville HS)… the switch hitting catcher made four starts last week in a five game series at the Brooklyn Cyclones. Seigler was only 1-for-15 at the plate with one walk in the four games. His lone hit was a double. Since coming off the injured list June 1, he has a .143 batting average in eight games and 28 official at bats. Hudson Valley (20-14) has won four straight games to catch Aberdeen at the top of the High-A East, North Division standings. The Renegades are at home Tuesday through Sunday in a six game series against the Jersey Shore Blueclaws. PRO BASKETBALL A.J. MOSBY — Shreveport Mavericks (3rd year pro; Cartersville HS)… poured in 34 points and added four assists, four rebounds, and three steals last Friday in a 129-124 win over Omahas Finest. He then finished with 13 points, nine assists, seven boards, and one steal Sunday in a 143-114 loss to the division-leading Houston Push. Mosby is averaging 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists through 20 games this season. Shreveport (14-6) is in third place in the nine-team Central Division of The Basketball League. The Mavericks trail Houston by five games.

The Bartow County Little League 10U team is off to a fast start at the 2021 Georgia Little League District 1 Tournament being played at Dean Field in Rockmart. Bartow (2-0) defeated Cartersville Little League 10U Saturday 13-6 and beat Rockmart Little League 10U Sunday 14-3 to grab the driver's seat in the double-elimination tournament. The two wins place Bartow 10U in the championship round Tuesday night needing only one more win to capture the district crown. Rockmart and Cartersville will play Monday night for the right to face Bartow in the finals. In Saturday’s win over Cartersville, Bartow County pounded out 14 hits, stole 19 bases, and scored runs in four of their five offensive frames. Cade McCorkle finished 4-for-4 at the plate with a double and one RBI to pace the Bartow offense. Mitchell Raughton followed with three hits including a double and one RBI. Noah Rogers contributed two hits including a double and two RBIs. Maddox Koontz also had two hits and two RBIs. Houston Walden finished with one hit and two RBIs. Logan Smith and Leroy Watts added one hit apiece. Walker Phillips had a triple and one RBI for Cartersville. Colt Priest also had one hit and one RBI. Noah Leffew added one base hit. Raughton (4.1 IP, 0R, 0H, 1BB, 8K) earned the Bartow pitching win with 4-1/3 innings of work in relief of starter Rogers (1 IP, 4R, 2ER, 1H, 4BB, 3K). McCorkle (0.2 IP, 2ER, 2H) wrapped up the win by retiring the final two outs in the sixth inning. In Sunday’s 14-3 win over Rockmart, the Bartow offense was proficient again with 13 hits in four offensive innings. The locals also swiped 23 bases in 25 attempts. McCorkle had four hits including a double to pace the Bartow attack. Walden had two hits including a solo, inside-the-park home run in the third inning. Karsin Darbin finished with two hits including a double. Koontz (double), Raughton (triple), and Smith contributed one hit and one RBI each. Rogers and Brodie Gardner finished with one hit each. Joseph Frederick was credited with a pair of RBIs. Walden made the pitching start and picked up the pitching win allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out five in three innings. Frederick and McCorkle shared the fourth inning and recorded one strikeout each. Cartersville Little League 11U wins District Series opener The Cartersville Little League 11U baseball team beat Bartow County 16-9 Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three championship series for Georgia Little League District 1 being held at Rockmart’s Dean Field. Cartersville 11U scored five runs in the top of the third to break open a 5-5 game and take a 10-5 lead. Cartersville then added on over the final three frames to secure a seven-run win. Cameron Kachinsky paced the Cartersville 11U offense with three hits including a double and three RBIs. Braden Slocumb contributed a pair of hits. Aiden Turner and Brody Jones tossed in one hit and one RBI each. Avery Slye and Noah Kearney finished with one hit each while River Wade was credited with one RBI. Jackson Jarrett led the Bartow 11U team with three hits including a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Nick Robinson and Kasey Jacobs had two hits each. David Vigil added one hit while Tyler Parker and Tucker Duncan were credited with two and one RBI, respectively. Jones earned the pitching win for Cartersville in relief. He entered in the second inning and allowed only one hit and one walk in 2-2/3 innings while fanning six. Cartersville starter Brant Rutledge retired the first five outs, allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks. Rutledge struck out three. Kearney retired the final two outs of the fifth inning charged with four runs (none earned) on two hits and three walks, while Slye worked a scoreless sixth inning on the mound working around a hit and a walk. Dustin Walling (2.1 IP, 8R, 3ER, 4H, 3BB, 6K) suffered the pitching loss for Bartow 11U. Parker (3 IP, 8R, 3ER, 5H, 4BB, 3K) and Jarrett (0.2 IP, 1BB) pitched in relief. Game 2 of the 11U District 1 series is set for Monday night in Rockmart at 8 p.m. Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.

Bartow 10U baseball built an early 5-0 lead by the middle of the fourth inning and added eight runs in the final two frames to secure a 13-5 win over Calhoun to win the 2021 GRPA District Five title. Calhoun narrowed the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth, but got no closer. Bartow pounded out 18 hits in the championship game win and swiped 24 bases on 26 attempts. Houston Walden paced Bartow with four hits including a triple and one RBI. Cade McCorkle followed with three hits and one RBI. Noah Rogers (2 RBIs), Brodie Gardner (RBI), Logan Smith, and Will Whitman finished with two hits each. The pitching quartet of Rogers, Gardner, Walden, and McCorkle combined for nine strikeouts and allowed only three earned runs. Bartow 10U won four straight games to capture the 10-team district tournament championship. The district title makes them eligible for the 6-team GRPA State Tournament in Bainbridge June 22-25. Cartersville 8U Gold earns spot in championship round; Bartow County 8U Blue finishes third The GRPA 8U Coach Pitch District Five double-elimination tournament had only three teams remaining when play resumed Saturday with Cartersville 8U Gold and Bartow County 8U Blue playing each other for the right to meet host Calhoun Monday in the championship round. Cartersville Gold raced to a 9-0 lead in the first inning and belted out 25 hits Saturday to defeat Bartow Blue, 16-7. Jon Ryder M led the Cartersville Gold offense with four hits including a triple, three doubles and three RBIs. RJ P (double, 3 RBIs), Camden J (double, 3 RBIs), Weston S (triple, 3 RBIs), Conor M (RBI), Jack T (double, RBI), and Harry B (triple, double, RBI) followed with three hits each. Micah T finished with a pair of hits and one RBI. Evan B added one hit for Cartersville Gold Bartow Blue was almost as productive at the plate totaling 19 hits. Eli Brownlow had three hits including a double and two RBIs. Tallan Bradley also finished with three hits and two RBIs. Jasper Lovett contributed three base hits. August Blasengame contributed two hits and two RBIs. Messiah Carter had two hits and one RBI. Bryson Johnson and Noah McDurmon both added two hits. Easton Young rounded out the offense with one hit. Bartow Blue finished the tournament with a 2-2 mark and finished third in the 11-team tournament. Cartersville Gold, now 4-1 in the tournament, will need to beat Calhoun (4-0) twice Monday night to claim the district crown. Bartow County 8U softball advances to District Five championship game The Bartow County 8U softball team led 8-0 after one inning and 14-1 through two frames Saturday on their way to a 20-8 win over Rockmart. Neveah Tate, Annie Cochran, Aubree Huskins, Caroline Owen, Linleigh Wade, Mia Benitez, Addalyn Johnson, Harper Swancy, and Madison Walker were among the top hitters in the Bartow win. Bartow County 8U advances to play Summerville in the championship round Monday night at Calhoun Park. Bartow County will need to beat Summerville twice Monday to claim the district championship. Other GRPA District Five games remaining: Bartow County 12U Blue baseball (3-0) is in the District Five championship round Monday at Al Rollins Park in Dalton. The locals, who have tournament wins over Rockmart (8-2), Rome #1 (8-7), and Cartersville Gold (12-3) will play Rockmart who has won four straight games after losing on the tournament’s opening night to Bartow. Bartow County 10U softball (3-0) has advanced to the GRPA District Five championship round and will be in action again Tuesday night in Rockmart. Bartow 10U softball, with wins over Cedartown (15-0), Rockmart (20-1), and Gordon County (20-0), awaits the survivor of elimination bracket games involving Gordon County, Calhoun, and Cedartown. The local team needs only one win Tuesday to win the district championship. Their opponent will need to defeat Bartow twice. Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.

The Cartersville Gold 8U Coach Pitch Baseball team and the Bartow County Blue 8U team will square off Saturday in an elimination game at the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association District Five Tournament in Calhoun. Cartersville Gold 8U defeated Rome #1 Friday night by an 8-7 score while Bartow 8U fell to Calhoun 14-5. Calhoun awaits the Cartersville/Bartow winner in the tournament finals on Monday. In Cartersville Gold 8Us win Friday, Jon Ryder Myers had three hits and two RBIs. RJ Perkins followed with three hits of his own. Evan Blankenberger (2 RBIs), Harry Baker (RBI), Micah Tatum (RBI), and Connor Murphy all had two hits each. Camden Johnson, Jack Turner, Weston Shirley, and Tate Warlick added one hit apiece. Linkoln Crump was credited with one RBI. Bartow 12U baseball reaches District title game; Cartersville Gold places third The Bartow County 12U Blue baseball team defeated Cartersville Gold 12U 7-3 Friday night at Al Rollins Park in Dalton to advance to the GRPA District Five finals. Trenton Mealer went 5-1/3 innings on the mound for Bartow and fanned four. Mitchell Raughton recorded the final two outs in relief — one by strikeout — in the final frame. Raughton was 3-for-3 at the plate with one RBI. Preston Hazelwood and Braxton Elrod followed with two hits each. Weston Wilson, Dakota Keane, and Trenton Mealer had the other Bartow base hits. Matthew Cook and Cash Priest had two hits each for Cartersville Gold. Deion Winters, Hunter McMillan, and Drake Bailey contributed one hit each. Priest struck out seven in four innings on the mound. Cook recorded one strikeout in an inning of relief in the loss. Bartow County Blue advances to play Rockmart Monday night in the championship round. Bartow will need one win to take the District Five title. Rockmart must defeat Bartow twice to win the tournament. Rockmart 12U 4, Cartersville Gold 12U 3 In an elimination game later Friday night, Cartersville 12U Gold fell to Rockmart 4-3 to finish third in the District Five Tournament. Max O’Bryant pitched four innings for Cartersville Gold and struck out eight. McMillan struck out four Rockmart batters over the final two frames in relief. Cook led the Cartersville Gold offense with two hits. Darren Cole (RBI), O’Bryant, and Priest added one hit apiece. McMillan chipped in with one RBI. Bartow County 10U to face Calhoun in District championship Saturday The Bartow County 10U baseball team takes on Calhoun Saturday at 10 a.m. at Hamilton Crossing Park for the GRPA District Five championship. Bartow will need just one win for the title. Calhoun will need to defeat Bartow twice to capture the tournament crown. Bartow County 10U Machine Pitch softball finishes fourth in district The Bartow County 10U Machine Pitch Softball team finished 2-2 and placed fourth in the GRPA District Five Tournament at Heritage Point Park in Dalton. Bartow dropped its opening tournament game to eventual champion Whitfield County on Tuesday, but defeated Dalton and Trion during the week before falling to Murray County Friday night. The Bartow 10U Machine Pitch team includes: Ramey Alexander, Taylor Atkins, Daliyah Callahan, Madelyn Eubanks, Rachel Faulkner, Laci Harris, Daniah Hill, Alyson Mitchell, Emily Odom, Brooklynn Sellers, Ansley Tummins, and Annali VanHook. Bartow County 14U drops District Five championship series at Dalton The Bartow County 14U GRPA tournament team fell to Dalton in a best-of-three series at Al Rollins Park during the past week. Bartow won the middle game in the series 11-7, but dropped the opening game 2-1 and fell again Friday by an 11-1 score. The Bartow 14U team is coached by Jeffery Reynolds. Members of the team include: Clayton Blackmon, Bryson Chatman, Lucas Coheley, Jaden Daise, Gavin Dawson, Jacob Jones, Cliffton Parker, Kamden Ray, Brylon Reynolds, Jonathan Ryan, Joseph Thorne, Carson Waits, and Dayson Ward. Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.

The Bartow County Blue 12U and Cartersville Gold 12U baseball teams will square off Friday night at Al Rollins Park in Dalton as the last two teams in the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association District Five double-elimination tournament without a loss. Bartow County edged Rome #1 by an 8-7 score Thursday night for its second win in the tournament while Cartersville Gold defeated Rome #2, 13-6. It was also a second consecutive win for Cartersville Gold. Preston Hazelwood worked 4-1/3 innings on the mound for Bartow and struck out a dozen in a no-decision start. Weston Wilson benefitted from Bartow’s walk-off win in the final frame and picked up the pitching win by retiring the final two outs in the fifth inning — one by strikeout. Braxton Elrod led the Bartow 12U offense with four hits including the walk-off, game-winning RBI to score Dakota Keane. Wilson and Gatlin Fair had two hits and one RBI each. Kasin Miller contributed one hit and one RBI. Mitchell Raughton added one hit. In the win by Cartersville Gold 12U, the locals pounded out 13 hits and stole 10 bases. Deion Winters had three hits including a double and two RBIs. Cash Priest followed with three hits of his own including a double and one RBI. Matthew Cook finished with two hits including a double. Drake Bailey drove in two runs and had one hit. Bryce Barkley contributed a hit and one RBI. Emory Weaver, Max O’Bryant, and Darren Cole added one hit each while Blake Lutjens was credited with a pair of RBIs. Priest, Weaver, and Lutjens each took the mound for Cartersville Gold in the victory and combined for six strikeouts. Cartersville Purple 10U wins third straight District tourney game The Cartersville Purple 10U baseball team won its third straight game at the GRPA District Five Tournament Thursday night at Hamilton Crossing Park. The win advances Cartersville Purple 10U to a matchup against Bartow County Blue Friday night with both teams assured of top three finishes in the district. Tyler Hickman was solid on the mound for Cartersville Purple 10U giving up a lone, earned run while scattering three hits and two walks in the first four innings. He struck out eight. Colt Priest worked a spotless fifth inning to close out the game striking out two. On offense, Hickman finished with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Braxton Mealer contributed one hit and one RBI. Parker Huth and Will Groce chipped in with one hit each and Demetrius Wynn added one RBI. The Cartersville Purple / Bartow Blue winner Friday moves into the championship round needing only one more win to take the District Five title. The loser falls into the elimination bracket and will need three straight wins to win the tournament. Bartow Blue 8U remains unbeaten at District The Bartow County Blue 8U baseball team is one win away from reaching the GRPA District Five finals after pulling out an exciting 17-16 win Thursday night over Fannin County at Calhoun Park. Bartow Blue 8U is assured of a top three finish in the tournament and will play Calhoun, the only other unbeaten team, Friday night with the winner securing a spot in the District Five championship round and needing only one more win for the title. Eli Brownlow and Tallan Bradley led Bartow Blue Thursday with four hits each. Jasper Lovett, Noah McDurmon, August Blasengame, and A’Nias Law followed with three hits apiece. Kobe Holcomb contributed a pair of hits while Messiah Carter, Easton Young, and Bryson Johnson finished with one hit each. Cartersville 8U Gold moves into District Five final four The Cartersville 8U Gold coach pitch team beat Dalton Thursday night to stave off elimination and move into the final four of the GRPA District Five 8U Tournament in Calhoun. Cartersville 8U Gold, now 2-1 in the tournament, pounded out 27 hits in the 18-8 win. Harry Baker (4 RBIs), RJ Perkins (2 RBIs), and Evan Blankenberger (2 RBIs) led the way with four hits each. Jon Ryder Myers (8 RBIs), Micah Tatum, and Tate Warlick (2 RBIs) had three hits apiece. Camden Johnson contributed a pair of hits while Jack Turner, Weston Shirley, Connor Murphy, and Linkoln Crump added one hit each. Cartersville 8U Gold plays Rome Friday night at Calhoun Park in another elimination game in the double-elimination tournament. Gordon County rallies in final inning to eliminate Cartersville Gold 10U at District Playing in an elimination game, the Cartersville Gold 10U baseball team held a 7-1 lead at one time Thursday night before falling to Gordon County 8-7. Cartersville Gold 10U raced to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and added two more runs in the third, but it was a six-run, fourth inning by Gordon County that ended the local’s tournament run. Alek Higgins started on the mound for Cartersville Gold 10U and allowed just one run on one hit and two walks in the first two innings. He struck out two. Zeke Brown had two hits and drove in one run for Cartersville Gold. Owen Morneault contributed a hit and one RBI. Jax Huskins, Hudson Lovett, Brentley Glass, and Ben Milam each added one hit. Cartersville Gold 10U finished the District Five Tournament with a 1-2 mark. Other players on the team included: Christopher Parker, Jaxon Boomer, Landon Hamilton, and Lukas Andrews. Bartow County 10U softball stays unbeaten The Bartow County 10U softball team won its third straight game at the GRPA District Five tournament in Rockmart. The 20-0 win Thursday night over Gordon County sends Bartow 10U to the championship round next Tuesday needing only one more win to capture the district title. Bartow 10U pitcher Jayda White has worked in the circle in all three Bartow wins, striking out 37. She has also been one of the team's leading hitters. Jayda White, Karlee Christianson, Casey Evans, Avaree Sellers, and Addison Reed have also been among the top Bartow hitters. Bartow County 10U Machine Pitch Softball team advances The Bartow County 10U machine pitch softball team won a second straight elimination game at their District Five tournament at Heritage Point Park in Dalton. Bartow lost its tournament opening game Tuesday to Whitfield County, but now has wins over Dalton (18-0) and Trion (14-13) to stay alive in the elimination bracket. Bartow 10U machine pitch is scheduled to play Murray County Friday in an elimination game with the winner advancing to face Summerville. Whitfield County awaits the survivor in the finals scheduled for Monday. Bartow County 12U softball finishes third The Bartow County 12U softball team finished third at the 2021 GRPA District Five tournament at Westside Park in Whitfield County. Bartow 12U finished 2-2 in the tournament eventually won by host Whitfield County. Bartow had wins over Rome (18-3) and Cedartown (10-3) before falling to Whitfield (11-5) and Cedartown (19-7). The Bartow County 12U softball roster includes: D’Ambria Callahan, Emma Cortes, Tinsley Evans, Kyleigh Gunter, Alexis Henson, Annabelle Mitchell, Rainey Parham, Lily Powell, Jennlyn Shuler, Makayla Terc, Ansleigh Tilley, Bella Turner, and Natalie Wofford. Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.

In addition to former Cartersville Twisters athlete Brody Malone winning the U.S. Championships this past weekend in Fort Worth, Texas, current Junior Elite gymnast Danilo Viciana of the Twisters program finished highly ranked at the Men's Junior U.S. Championships in Daytona Beach, Florida. This was the first U.S. Championships competition for Viciana who is a rising senior at Lassiter High School in Marietta. Danilo, trained by Cartersville Twisters Coach Andrei Kouznetsov finished second in the nation on floor exercise and ninth nationally in the All-Around competition. He plans to continue his gymnastics career at the collegiate level.

The Bartow County 10U baseball team took down Rockmart 15-0 Wednesday night at Hamilton Crossing Park to remain unbeaten and advance in the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association District Five tournament. Bartow 10U will be back in action Friday against the winner of Thursday’s matchup between Calhoun and Cartersville. Against Rockmart, Bartow 10U plated three runs in the first inning, two in the second, and exploded for 10 runs in the third inning to ice the game. Bartow had four hits and took advantage of several walks on their way to the winning margin. Houston Walden, Cade McCorkle, Leeroy Watts, and Will Whitman led Bartow 10U with one hit apiece. McCorkle got the no-hit win on the mound facing just one batter over the minimum in his three innings of work. He walked one and struck out five. Play continues in the 10U District Five tournament Thursday night at Hamilton Crossing Park with Cartersville #2 taking on Calhoun in a winner’s bracket game. Cartersville #1 plays Gordon County in an elimination game and Rome squares off against Fannin County in another elimination game. GRPA District Five — 12U Softball at Westside Park, Whitfield County Bartow slips to elimination bracket The Bartow County 12U girls split games Tuesday and Wednesday in the GRPA District Five tournament, but remain alive as one of the final three teams in the tournament. In a 10-3 win over Cedartown Tuesday night, Ansleigh Tilley tossed a complete game, one-hitter and struck out 15 for the locals. Tilley also finished 3-for-3, including a double, at the plate. Rainey Parham had two hits for Bartow. Lily Powell, Annabelle Mitchell, Bria Callahan, and Jennlyn Shuler rounded out the offensive attack with one hit each. In Wednesday’s 11-5 loss to host Whitfield County, Tilley had Bartow’s only base hit and struck out five in three innings in the circle. Bartow 10U Machine Pitch Softball advances through elimination bracket The Bartow 10u machine pitch softball team beat Dalton 18-0 and Trion 14-13 Wednesday in loser’s bracket action at Heritage Point Park in Dalton. The locals need to defeat Murray County and Summerville Thursday to reach the tournament championship round Friday against Whitfield County. Bartow 8U Green Coach Pitch Baseball falls The Bartow County 8U Green Coach Pitch baseball team was edged out of the GRPA District Five Tournament in Calhoun Wednesday night with a second, narrow loss in the double-elimination tournament. Bartow 8U Green lost to Whitfield County Monday 10-9 and was eliminated from the tournament Wednesday night with a 24-22 loss to Rockmart. The Bartow 8U Green roster was coached by Taylor Forsyth and consisted of Cooper Adcock, Clayton Allmon, Thomas Baker, Mason Benitez, Braxton Brownlow, Gabriel Finley, Camden Forsyth, Austin Freeman, Knox Janssen, Cash Miller, Brody Morrow, and Kellan Rogers. The Bartow 8U Blue team and the Cartersville 8U team are both 1-0 in the tournament and play Fannin County and Calhoun, respectively, Thursday night. Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.

Cartersville High School pitcher Micah Earwood was named 2021 First Team All-State by the Georgia Dugout Club. Canes' teammates Parker McPherson and Davis Williams were recognized Second Team in Class 5A while the Hurricanes' Curt Bonner, Jake Brasfield and Woodland’s Drew Billings and Peyton Posey were selected Honorable Mention in Class 5A. Adairsville had four team members chosen Honorable Mention in Class AAA. CLASS AAAAA FIRST TEAM RHP, Micah Earwood, Sr., Cartersville CLASS AAAAA SECOND TEAM 1B, Parker McPherson, Sr., Cartersville RHP, Davis Williams, Sr., Cartersville CLASS AAAAA HONORABLE MENTION RHP/C Drew Billings, Sr., Woodland C/DH Curt Bonner, Jr., Cartersville OF Jake Brasfield, Jr., Cartersville RHP/OF Peyton Posey, Sr., Woodland CLASS AAA HONORABLE MENTION C/RHP Braden Powell, Jr., Adairsville 2B/SS Chris Roper, So., Adairsville SS/2B Kyler Smith, Sr., Adairsville LHP/CF Jack Whitley, So., Adairsville

A variety of Cartersville and Bartow County youth softball and baseball teams are in the midst of their 2021 Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) District Five tournaments. Tournament games are continuing this week at Hamilton Crossing Park, Calhoun, Whitfield County Parks, Rockmart, and Dalton. GRPA District 5 Softball — 12U BARTOW COUNTY 18, ROME 3 Bella Turner paced the Bartow 12Us offense with three hits. Rainey Parham and Bria Callahan contributed a pair of hits each. Lily Powell, Natalie Wofford, Jennlyn Shuler, Emma Cortes, and Alexis Henson added one hit apiece. Bartow’s second game in the tournament Tuesday against Cedartown was suspended due to weather. The winner reaches the double-elimination tournament semifinals against host Whitfield. That game was scheduled for Wednesday. GRPA District 5 Softball -- 10U BARTOW COUNTY 15, CEDARTOWN 0 BARTOW COUNTY 20, ROCKMART 1 Game reports to be added once the information is made available. Please check back here. Bartow County 10U, undefeated in the event, is scheduled to face Gordon County Thursday in the double-elimination tournament. GRPA District 5 Softball — 8U BARTOW COUNTY 23, GORDON COUNTY 0 The Bartow County 8U softball team cruised to a 23-0 opening round win over Gordon County Tuesday at Calhoun Park. The local team pounded out 26 hits in the victory. Neveah Tate, Caroline Owen, Linleigh Wade, and Mia Benitez led Bartow with three hits each. Annie Cochran, Addalyn Johnson, Harper Swancy, Madison Walker, and Sadie Houston finished with two hits each. Addaleigh Gravitt added one hit in the win. The win by Bartow 8U sends them to a Friday winner’s bracket matchup against the Rockmart/Dalton winner. The double-elimination tournament continues through next Monday. GRPA District 5 Baseball — 10U BARTOW COUNTY 9, FANNIN COUNTY 3 In the opening round of the GRPA District Five 10 and under baseball tournament, host team Bartow County jumped out to a quick lead on Fannin County and never looked back taking a 9-3 win Tuesday at Hamilton Crossing Park. Bartow scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning, one run in the second, and two in the third to take a commanding 8-0 lead. Fannin pushed three runs across in the top of the fourth inning to cut the score to 8-3. Bartow then added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth and held Fannin scoreless in the top of the fifth inning to seal a 9-3 win. Houston Walden pitched 3-2/3 innings allowing the three Fannin runs. He struck out eight while allowing only three hits and three bases on balls. Brodie Gardner pitched 1-1/3 innings in relief allowing no runs and no hits Gardner fanned four and allowed only two walks. At the plate for Bartow, Cade McCorkle went 3 for 3, and Noah Rogers went 2 for 3 to lead the locals. Also with hits: Karsin Darby, Logan Smith, Leeroy Watts, and Will Whitman. Bartow plays again Wednesday night at 6 pm at Hamilton Crossing Park hosting Rockmart. CALHOUN 12, CARTERSVILLE GOLD 1 The Cartersville 10U Gold team fell behind early and dropped its opening round game to Calhoun Tuesday at the GRPA District Five tournament at Hamilton Crossing Park. Calhoun led 4-1 after one inning and added seven insurance runs over the next three frames to put the game away. Cartersville 10U finished with five hits. Alek Higgins had two hits including a triple for Cartersville. Lucas Andrews drove in a run and had one base hit. Hudson Lovett contributed a double and Owen Morneault added one hit. Andrews pitched the first two innings and struck out two. Chris Parker, Landon Hamilton, and Lovett also pitched for the locals. Cartersville Gold is scheduled to play Gordon County in an elimination game Wednesday. The double-elimination tournament continues through Saturday. CARTERSVILLE PURPLE 22, WHITFIELD COUNTY 1 CARTERSVILLE PURPLE 15, GORDON COUNTY 0 The Cartersville 10U Purple team has advanced through two rounds of the GRPA District Five tournament, winning handily Monday and Tuesday at Hamilton Crossing Park over teams from Whitfield and Gordon counties. Pitchers Noah Leffew and Will Groce combined for a three-inning, no-hit, perfect game in Tuesday night’s win over Gordon County. The duo combined to strike out seven of the nine batters they faced in a 15-0 win. Monday, pitchers Bowan Hardy and Walker Phillips combined for a three-inning, one-hitter to beat Whitfield County, 22-1. Hardy did not allow a hit, but did walk one and struck out three in the first two frames. Phillips gave up a hit and three walks while accumulating three strikeouts. In the two wins, Hardy had six hits including three doubles and seven RBIs. Groce totaled four hits including a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Tyler Hickman contributed three hits including a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Dametrius Wynn had three hits including one double and two RBIs. Colt Priest finished the two games with three hits including a triple, a double, and three RBIs. Leffew also added three hits and one RBI. Parker Huth picked up two hits and had two RBIs. Cade McFarland had one hit and one RBI. Jude Hamilton tossed in one hit and Braxton Mealer added one RBI. Cartersville Purple 10U is scheduled to play Calhoun Wednesday night in a winner’s bracket game. The winner moves into the district semifinals with the tournament continuing through Saturday. GRPA District 5 Baseball — 12U BARTOW COUNTY 8, ROCKMART 2 A quartet of hitters and a pair of strong pitching performances lifted the Bartow County 12U team to an opening win at the GRPA District Five baseball tournament at Al Rollins Park in Dalton. Kason Miller hit a three run home run; Gatlin Fair drove in a run with a double; Trenton Mealer added a double; and Ben Wilson added a hit, a walk, and scored twice to lead the Bartow offensive attack. Maddox Raughton earned the pitching win for Bartow working 2-2/3 innings. He scattered a pair of hits and struck out four. Braxton Elrod took care of the final 2-1/3 frames to earn a save. Elrod yielded just one hit and fanned four. GRPA District 5 Baseball — 8U Coach Pitch CARTERSVILLE 16, WHITFIELD COUNTY 2 BARTOW COUNTY BLUE 16, ROME 13 WHITFIELD COUNTY 10, BARTOW COUNTY GREEN 9 Two of three local 8U Coach Pitch teams have advanced to the winner’s bracket semifinals and one has dropped to the loser’s bracket of the GRPA District Five tournament in Calhoun. In first round action Monday, Bartow Blue defeated Rome #2 in a 16-13 thriller while Bartow Green was edged by Whitfield County, 10-9. Cartersville defeated Whitfield Tuesday night, 16-2 in the second round after receiving an opening round bye. Bartow Green is scheduled for an elimination game Wednesday against Rockmart at Calhoun Park. A win by the locals results in a second elimination game against Dalton. Bartow Blue and Cartersville will square off with Fannin County and Calhoun, respectively, in winner’s bracket action Thursday night. The double-elimination tournament continues through next Monday. GRPA District 5 Softball — 10U Machine Pitch WHITFIELD COUNTY 24, BARTOW COUNTY 6 The Bartow County 10U Machine Pitch softball team lost its opening game Tuesday night at the GRPA District 5 tournament, falling to Whitfield County at Heritage Park. Bartow slips to the elimination bracket and is scheduled to face Dalton Wednesday. The tournament is scheduled to continue through Friday. Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.

The Cartersville Little League baseball Rookie League team won the 2021 Northwest Georgia Section Tournament Tuesday night with a thrilling 7-6 victory over Smyrna Little League Blue at Brinkley Park in Cobb County. The 8U Northwest Georgia Section Tournament winners will now represent Georgia Little League Districts 1-4 at the Rookie State Tournament in Warner Robins over Father’s Day weekend. Cartersville and Smyrna Blue advanced to Tuesday night’s championship game by finishing in first and second place in pool play games completed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Smyrna Blue was undefeated in pool play with an 8-5 win over Cartersville and a 15-14 victory over Smyrna Red. Cartersville earned its spot in the title game by defeating Smyrna Red, 15-8. In Tuesday night’s championship game, Cartersville and Smyrna Blue exchanged the lead three times before Cartersville won in the bottom of the sixth inning, 7-6. With the game tied 6-all, the locals loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single for Sawyer Ezell who coaxed a walk-off base on balls for the game-winning RBI. Maddox Henderson and Hayden Stewart pitched three innings each and combined for four strikeouts in the victory. The duo allowed just three earned runs on eight hits and four walks. Harris Pressley and Henderson had two hits each for Cartersville. Sawyer White finished with one hit and one RBI. Hayes Burris and Jordan Cooley added one hit each. In Saturday’s 15-8 win over Smyrna Red, Pressley contributed two hits and three RBIs. Henderson also finished with two hits including a double and two RBIs. Micha Mitcham had a double and two RBIs. Burris added a hit and one RBI while Ezell and White had one hit apiece. Henderson and Stewart limited Smyrna Red to six runs (two earned) over the first four frames. Henderson fanned four and Stewart struck out two. Pressley and Mitcham both pitched in the fifth inning to close out the contest. During Cartersville’s opening pool play loss to Smyrna Blue, Colby McMillan had the only base hit for the locals. McMillan, Ezell, and Mitcham were each credited with one RBI. Stewart worked the first three innings on the mound allowing just one earned run in his stint. Ezell and Pressley combined to close out the fourth inning. ROSTER: Hayes Burris, Sawyer Ezell, Jordan Cooley, Henry Culverhouse, Maddox Henderson, Barron Jordan, Micha Mitcham, Colby McMillan, Benny Powell, Harris Pressley, Hayden Stewart, and Sawyer White. COACHES: Ty Mitcham, Mike Ezell, Charlie Culverhouse, and Andy Burris. Information for local Little League softball and baseball updates along with updates from Georgia Recreation and Parks Association baseball and softball tournaments are provided by the Cartersville and Bartow County Recreation Departments and the respective Little League Baseball and Softball organizations. The updates are presented by CiCi's of Cartersville located in the Cherokee Crossing shopping center.